


Seeing You Under The Stars' Light

by the_sky_is_forever



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Best Friends, Best Friends to Lovers, F/F, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Girls Kissing, Girls in Love, Yule Ball
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 08:29:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13971228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_sky_is_forever/pseuds/the_sky_is_forever
Summary: “Do you want to go to the ball with me?” Éponine blurts out.Cosette blinks at her, taking half a step back accidentally. “Are you serious?” she asks.





	Seeing You Under The Stars' Light

**Author's Note:**

> title from Hayley Kiyoko's "Pretty Girl" because it's 20GAYteen and her first full length album comes out this month!!

All pretension aside, Cosette is the most beautiful person that Éponine has ever seen. That’s all there is. Ever since she first saw her stepping into a boat, that first day at Hogwarts, all Éponine has known is that Cosette is beautiful. The most beautiful.

Of course, she’s also kind, and caring, and an incredible generous soul. She’s intelligent – startlingly so – and loyal. Sweet, but terrifying when sticking up for her friends. Gentle, but never passive. Soft, but never weak. Beautiful. So very beautiful.

Éponine loves her. That’s all there is.

Cosette is frowning at her crystal ball, lips pursed in concentration, eyebrows furrowed, and Éponine can’t take her eyes off her. She wants to wrap her hand into Cosette’s beautiful blonde hair and kiss the frustration off her face. But that would ruin the moment; ruin how much Cosette puts into her work.

She loves her, she loves her, oh, she loves her. It feels like she’s standing in the rain, swimming in the ocean in the middle of a storm, drenched in the onslaught of love that she feels for Cosette, a terrible downpour of emotion, and she’s chilled to the bone, stomach aching, blood freezing, feeling so much _love_.

And she sits there as if she feels none of it. And Cosette sits there as if none of it is happening.

Some days Éponine wants to scream it at her, some days she wants her to never find out. Today she’s not sure. Maybe that’s the perfect time to tell her.

In her bag under the table, two tickets to the ball wait, and Éponine _longs_ to have Cosette on her arm, beautiful and wonderful and proud to be seen with Éponine.

 

It gnaws at her stomach as they finish the class, digs its claws in as Éponine listens to Cosette chatter away to Marius as they eat together, chews at her mind as they head to their next class alone, and still she pushes down the idea, attempts to beat it into silent submission.

Except, “Do you want to go to the ball with me?” Éponine blurts out.

Cosette blinks at her, taking half a step back accidentally. “Are you serious?” she asks.

A hot flush darts up Éponine’s neck, but she steels herself and nods.

“Um…” Cosette says, blinking, the picture of surprise.

Éponine swallows, tightly, and ducks her head. This was the worst idea she’s ever had. Her heart _aches_ with the thought that she might have just screwed up the most important relationship she has, outside of her siblings. She starts to walk past Cosette, mumbling, “Actually, just forget it. It doesn’t matter.”

If she can make it back to her dorm room without crying everything will be okay. She can owl one of her friends to help keep Cosette away from her for a while and then… drop out of school so she never has to face any of this again.

“Wait,” Cosette cries, rushing to catch her, grabbing her arm. “Hey, wait. I didn’t say no.” Éponine looks up at her and feels a surge of terrified love in her heart; she can almost feel how open and honest she must look for once. Hopeful. “I was just surprised, that’s all,” Cosette explains. She takes a breath. “I’d love to go with you.”

Éponine’s eyes scan her face, looking for a hint of pity. “You would?” she asks, shocked. A smile almost makes it onto her face before she shuts it down. Can she trust this?

“I would,” Cosette says, smiling, her grip on Éponine’s arm becoming something softer, more affectionate.

“I thought-” Éponine starts. “I don’t know. I thought maybe- Marius…”

“No,” Cosette says, quickly, and lets out a shyly happy laugh. “No, I- I think maybe Courfeyrac was planning on asking him.”

“So you’ll go with me?” Éponine asks. She thinks she can believe in this.

There’s a blush staining Cosette’s cheeks as she smiles, looking down and laughing breathily. “Yes,” she says. “I’d love to.”

Éponine’s mouth opens and closes a few times, completely in shock. “Great!” she blurts out. “I’ll pick you up.”

“Okay,” Cosette says, so beautiful.

“Great!” Éponine repeats, and feels so happy that she’s not even embarrassed by it. She takes a step backwards, just out of reach of Cosette’s touch, but she’s beaming now, her breath coming a little fast as she really understands that _Cosette said yes_. “I’ve gotta- I’ll- See you later?” she asks.

“Éponine,” Cosette says softly, sounding amused, and her eyes are shining and Éponine is in love with her. “Class?” Cosette prompts.

“Right! Uh, I’ll just- Make an excuse for me? I’ll be there. Just- I’ve gotta go- I’ll be right there!” Éponine promises, feeling giddy and silly and wonderful. Cosette laughs, like wind chimes in a gentle breeze, the high notes on a piano played softly, and Éponine blurts out, “Thank you.”

“I’ll see you in class, Ép,” Cosette says happily. “Don’t be too late.”

“No, I’ll be right there, I promise,” Éponine says, and then, before she can lose her nerve, ducks in and kisses Cosette on the cheek. She can’t meet her eyes when she pulls back, but she can’t stop smiling either as she rushes away from Cosette, off down a separate corridor, internally _singing_ for how much she loves her.

She knows exactly where Marius will be, because it’s where he always is during this period – studying with Courfeyrac and Enjolras.

When she bursts into the free classroom they commandeer every Wednesday, she’s faced with a few more of her friends than she expected, but it doesn’t slow her down at all. “Marius!” she says, and she’s so aware that she’s getting surprised looks off some of her friends and knows it’s because she’s never been this happy, never in all their six years at Hogwarts.

“‘Ponine? What’s-?” Marius starts to ask.

“Cosette! She- She’s going to the ball with me,” she gets out, feeling utterly hysterical, and then she sits down where she is on the floor, lightheaded and delirious with joy.

The room practically explodes with delighted shouts from her friends and she meets Marius’ eyes first – he’s beaming at her, so pleased it radiates off him in waves – and then Enjolras’, as he sits right beside Marius, and then, automatically she looks to Grantaire, who isn’t looking back at her at all, but straight at Enjolras, a look on his face that she understands instantly.

“I asked her just now,” she tells them. “I was listening to her talk about- about Care of Magical Creatures homework of all things, and I just thought, what have I got to lose? Well, a lot really. Our friendship, years of history, the best relationship in my life, but that’s not important. Well, it is. Of course it is. But the point is, I asked her. Because I love her. And now I think I’m going to faint,” she tells them.

Marius is next to her in moments, flopping down onto the stone floor of the classroom beside her and grabbing her hand, still grinning wildly. She looks up at him and he looks back at her, and they share this moment of joy.

“Marius, go to the ball with me,” Courfeyrac says.

Éponine is still looking right at Marius when Courfeyrac speaks and laughs as his already pale face drains of colour.

Éponine’s eyes widen with glee.

“What?” Marius asks, hoarsely, turning to look at Courfeyrac. “What did you just say?” His hands shake where he’s holding Éponine’s hands.

“I said, Marius… Go to the ball with me,” Courfeyrac repeats, not looking any less certain.

The whole room holds their breath.

Marius gets to his feet, all 6’3” of him. He has eyes for only Courfeyrac, and Courfeyrac is no better. “Do you-? I need you to be completely clear, right now, Courfeyrac, because I know I’m always saying things and it sounds different to how I meant it, and if this is… like that- Courf, I-”

“Go to the ball with me, as my date,” Courfeyrac clarifies, his dark eyes sure, taking slow, steady steps towards Marius, “because I like you. Because I want to date you.”

Marius seems to be at a loss for words, and resolves that my flinging himself at Courfeyrac, flailing arms coming to wrap tightly around Courfeyrac in a fierce hug. “Yes,” he chokes out. “Of course I’ll go with you.”

Courfeyrac’s smile is blinding.

“By the way, Bahorel asked me last night,” Feuilly tells them all, suddenly. “Just so you know.”

“What?” Courfeyrac yells, ecstatically, without letting go of Marius. “That’s amazing, congrats, dude.”

Feuilly grins sheepishly and quietly goes back to his textbook, a clear attempt to hide the shy pleased look he has on his face.

“Joly, Bossuet, and Musichetta, Bahorel and Feuilly, Cosette and Éponine, Marius and Courfeyrac… Should I ask Jehan?” Combeferre asks, dryly.

Éponine snickers. “Or Enjolras.”

Combeferre raises both eyebrows at her, cheekily.

Enjolras rolls his eyes at her, and mutters, “No, thanks.”

Combeferre clutches his chest, feigning hurt, and then blows a kiss at his friend.

Grantaire starts packing his books away, clearly trying to be unnoticeable.  Éponine looks at Grantaire pointedly and waits to catch his eye.

When he finally looks over at her, she mouths, “Do it”. Grantaire shakes his head at her sadly. Her eyes flicker to Enjolras, and go straight back to Grantaire’s abruptly when she realises Enjolras is watching the silent exchange.

Grantaire clears his throat. “I’m happy for you, ‘Ponine,” he says, shouldering his rucksack.

“R-” she starts, aloud.

He cuts her off, brusquely. “It’s not the same,” he says, and laughs awkwardly, afterwards. “I’m fine. I can go to a dance alone, don’t you worry about me.” He walks over to her and kisses her cheek, gently. “I’ll see you later.”

“R-” she repeats, but doesn’t get any further before he’s disappeared through the doorway.

She sighs, and forces herself not to look at Enjolras, at risk of outing Grantaire. Instead she looks over at Marius and Courfeyrac and smiles, thinking of her own date.

“Don’t you have a class right now?” Feuilly asks.

“Oh, _shit_!”

 

Éponine can’t breathe. She watches Cosette descend the staircase gracefully, hair cascading beautifully, skin seeming to glow in the light of hundreds of candles floating above their heads. She’s enchanting.

Besides Éponine, Grantaire starts to laugh. “You should see your face,” he tells her. “You’re fucked, girl.”

With perfect timing, Enjolras chooses that moment to appear besides them both. “She does look beautiful, doesn’t she?” he asks, looking at Cosette, who has stopped to talk to Marius and Courfeyrac.

Grantaire and Éponine turn to look at him, and Éponine is blessed with the opportunity to witness the moment Grantaire sees Enjolras dressed in his finest.

“Yeah,” Grantaire manages. “Beautiful.”

Enjolras smiles at him. “I’ll see you in there,” he says, and leaves.

Grantaire stares after him, helplessly.

Éponine snorts. “Yeah, _I’m_ the one that’s fucked.”

At that moment, Grantaire gets swarmed by Joly, Bossuet, and Musichetta, all yelling at the same time about how beautiful he looks, and Éponine takes that as her cue, breathes in deeply, and makes her way towards Cosette.

Cosette accidentally glances her way while gesturing about something in her conversation, and stops dead in the middle of a sentence when their eyes meet. Cosette’s eyes rake up and down Éponine’s body, and her cheeks flush darker.

She doesn’t even finish her conversation, simply abandoning Marius and Courfeyrac to cross the final stretch of distance between them. “Éponine,” she says. “Wow. You-”

Éponine smiles and nods. “You, too,” she says.

“How didn’t I know you were wearing a suit? Merlin, Ép, you look… incredible,” Cosette says.

“Thanks,” Éponine says, feeling hot all over. Cosette’s wearing heels and Éponine has to look up at her when they talk, and it makes her a little flustered how attractive she finds it. “I gotta say… That dress is… Cosette, you’re killing me.”

Cosette laughs, shyly, and runs a hand through her hair. “Thank you.”

Éponine offers her arm. “Ready?” she asks.

Cosette grins at her and takes her arm happily. “Ready,” she replies.

They make their way into the great hall, gaping at the incandescent decorations and the sky full of stars. Their eyes meet, and they laugh together at their shared awe of their school.

The ball is already in full swing, and Cosette points out some of their friends, already out on the dance floor. Instead of joining them right away, Éponine steers them towards the drinks, glowing internally at the looks they’re getting, thrilling that Cosette came with _her_.

They stand and watch, laughing, as Joly and Bossuet swing around the room, while Musichetta grinds with Grantaire (quickly being separated by Professor Javert).

Cosette’s hand slips into Éponine’s, silently. Éponine looks down at their joined hands, startled, and then looks up at her best friend, grinning. Cosette doesn’t look at her, but she’s smiling uncontrollably too.

“Come on,” Cosette says, and pulls her onto the dancefloor.

Together, they find some of their friends and throw themselves into the music. It’s fun and free and Éponine can’t take her eyes off Cosette. She’s never wanted to kiss someone more, so she pulls Cosette close to her, puts a hand on the back of her neck and leans in to say in her ear, “Can I kiss you?”

Cosette pulls back to nod, grinning ecstatically. “Yes!” she yells over the music.

Éponine pulls her against her with a hand on her waist and the other on her neck, and kisses her firmly on the mouth. It softens into a slow, steady, deep kiss, and it’s everything Éponine ever dreamed of.

Someone stumbles and crashes into them, and they split apart, laughing joyously. The stranger yells apologies at them as they move away, and Cosette waves them off, smiling without a care in the world, and Éponine just can’t look away.

She shakes her head, helplessly, and pulls Cosette back in for another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed this! i looked at how many hours i spent writing, staring at the screen, deleting sentences and re-writing this and it's...........35 hours...................  
> so yeah this gave me a lot of trouble please give me kudos and comments and also if you really liked it you could [buy me a coffee?](http://ko-fi.com/A831F9U) please?  
> im @wonderfeuilly on twitter and @caitlynsofia on instagram, letterboxd, and goodreads.


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